Combination garment and method of making same



April 14, 1964 E. (5. RICE ETAL 3,123,475

COMBINATION GARMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Oct. 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 wh unhuhhll II FIG. 2

Ernesi G. Rice J ATTONEY April 14, 1964 E. G. RICE ETAL COMBINATION GARMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Oct. 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 7 mm F Ernest G. Rice Joseph G. Wolser INVENTORS ATTORNEY A ril 14, 1964 3,128,475

COMBINATION GARMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME E. G. RICE ETAL ,3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 24, 1958 Ernest 6. Rice Joseph G. Wulsendrl INVENTORS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,128,475 COMBINATION GARMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Ernest G. Rice, PA). Box 52, and Joseph G. Walser, 3L, 13.0. Box 49, both of High Point, N.C. Filed Oct. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 769,339 11 Claims. (Cl. 2-224) This invention relates to improvements in combination knitted garments and the method of making these garments, and relates more particularly to combination tights knit either on a full-fashioned knitting machine or a circular knitting machine.

The combination stocking and panty garment or tights illustrated in United States Patent No. 2,826,760 issued to Ernest G. Rice, presents a single fabric thickness throughout the garment except possibly for some reinforcement in the crotch portion. Wearers of these garments have found it desirable, in view of the interstices inherent in any knitted fabric, to wear an additional undergarment. However, there is some objection to the use of two separate garments particularly since the materials from which the garments are made may not be the same and the colors do not match or blend with each other.

Therefore, it is an objective of this invention to provide a combination stocking and panty garment of either seamless or full-fashioned knit construction in which the fabric forming the upper portion of the garment may be of two-ply construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination stocking and panty garment or tights in which there is an inner panty portion made of the same yarn as the outer garment.

Still another objective of this invention is the provision of a combination garment or tights made of stretchable synthetic yarn in which there is an inner and an outer panty, both of which are knit of the same type yarn with the panty portions being joined at least at the waist of the garment.

A further objective of this invention is to provide a combination stocking and panty garment in which an inner and an outer panty are knit integrally from a continuous stocking blank having a foot, leg, hip and waist portion with the blank being folded upon itself for a selected length to form a double ply fabric for the selected length.

The present inventive concept contemplates a combination garment or tights in which two separate stocking blanks, either of seamless or full-fashioned knit construction, may be combined by joining the blanks together in a manner to be described hereinafter in order to form a pair of tights having foot, leg, hip and waist portions, with an inner panty portion being formed in the garment which inner panty may be knit integrally from the blanks or fabricated for use in combination with the combination garment by joining the panty to the stocking blanks at selected locations in the garment.

This invention further contemplates a method of making tights having an inner panty portion of either seamless or full-fashioned knit construction.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention relating to a combination garment having an inner panty portion will become more readily apparent as the invention becomes more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the present inventive concept illustrating a combination garment of seamless knit construction;

FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the top portion of an elongated stocking blank of seamless knit construction ice illustrating the hip and waist portions of the inner and outer half-portions of a pair of tights in extended condition and illustrating an arcuate terminal edge;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 in which a longitudinal slit is formed at the inner fold of the stocking blank which extends approximately to the crotch portion;

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a pair of elongated stocking blanks seamed at the rear portion thereof with the front portion being folded forwardly prior to completion of the joining of the two stocking blanks together;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial elevational view of a stocking blank of seamless knit construction illustrating the formation of the integral inner panty portion of the garment as folded inwardly to form the two ply fabric for the upper portion of the garment;

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of the present inventive concept illustrating a combination garment of full-fashioned knit construction;

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of FIG. 6 illustrating the full-fashioned knit construction of the combination garment;

FIG. 8 is a view showing a full-fashioned knit stocking blank in which a longitudinal slit has been cut therein and an arcuate section removed at the upper portion of the blank;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial elevational view of a full-fashioned stocking blank seamed to form the stocking and the upper portion of the stocking folded over to form an integral inner panty portion for the tights;

FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of a combination garment which may be of seamless or full-fashioned knit construction in which the upper portion of the garment has a two-ply thickness;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of the upper portion of the garment of FIG. 10 with a section cut open to illustrate the two-ply fabric formed in the stocking blanks for seamless knit construction;

FIG. 12 is a partial end elevational view of a fullfashioned knit combination garment having a longitudinal cut to illustrate the two-ply fabric in the upper portion of the garment similar in construction to FIG. 11 for the seamless knit garment;

FIG. 13 illustrates a combination full-fashioned garment having an inner panty portion sewed to the waist of the garment; and

FIG. 14 shows two seamless knit stocking blanks forming a combination garment and an inner panty portion sewed to the waist of the garment.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 through 5, there is shown therein a combination garment it) in which two circularly knit or seamless construction stocking blanks 11 and 12, each having foot portions 13, leg portions 14, hip portions 15, and inner panty portions 16 integrally knit to form in each stocking blank one-half portion of a pair of tights. As is shown in FIG. 2, the terminal portion 17 of the stocking blank is cut in an arcuate pattern 18 which forms the terminal edge of the inner panty portion of the combination garment. In the fabrication of each of the stocking blanks a longitudinal slit 19 is cut from the top of the blank to approximately the crotch portion 20 of the blank on what will be referred to as the crotch-side 21 of the blank.

In the fabrication of the two-legged garment, two stockings one having a longitudinal slit for the right stocking and one having a longitudinal slit for the left stocking on the crotch-side of each are placed together and seamed along the edges formed by the longitudinal slits 19. It has been found desirable in most instances to use a crotch insert or piece 22 which may be of single or double thickness of fabric and sewed at the base or approximately at the base of the crotch in order to relieve any stresses in this particular area of the garment.

Upon completion of t.-e U-shaped seam 23 which joins the two stockings together, the inner panty portion 16, after the terminal edges 17 are seamed to join the flaps by a seam 24, the inner panty portion 16 may then be turned inwardly into the garment to form a two-ply fabric as may be clearly shown in FIG. 5. When desirable the flaps 17 or seam 2 may be tacked in some suitable manner adjacent to the crotch of the garment. An elastic belt or band 25 may be sewn or attached in some suitable manner along the fold-line 2d at the waist of the garment. The arcuate cut-out portions 18 in the terminal portions of the stocking blanks have been found to reduce any curling or rolling of the fabric in the parity portion.

In the preferred embodiments of the various concepts disclosed herein, it has been found desirable to fabricate the garments from stretch nylon yarn or some other suitable stretchable synthetic yarn, such as Orlon or Dacron. However, the garments have been found to be most suitable either of the seamless knit construction or the fullfashioned knit construction by using stretch nylon yarn generally marketed under the trademarks Helanca, Fluiiion and Superloft. Although 70 denier, twoply multifilament yarns have been most satisfactory for the knitting of these garments, other deniers as well as monofilament yarns may be utilized depending upon the type garment desired. It is further contemplated that fine gauge full-fashioned as well as seamless knitting machines may be employed to knit the fabric of the various embodiments disclosed herein. Various combinations of yarn deniers may also be employed by knitting the foot and leg portions of one gauge or denier and the upper portions of the garment with another denier and these modifications have been contemplated.

in FIGS. 6 and 7 there is illustrated a combination garment of full-fashioned knit construction in which the individual stocking blanks 3t and 31 are seamed together to form the combination garment 32. In FIG. 8 there is shown, in folded condition, a full-fashioned knit stocking blank prior to seaming with the foot portion 33, leg portion 34, hip portion 35 and inner panty portion 36 integrally knit in the blank. An arcuate section 37 has been cut in the terminal top portion 38 of the stocking blank to prevent curling or rolling of the fabric as previously described in the seamless knit construction garment. A longitudinal slit 3? is cut in the stocking blank on the crotch-side to approximately the location of the crotch 39 which will be formed in the garment.

The full-fashioned stocking blanks are seamed initially to form the elongated stockings after which a pair of stockings that are suitably matched are paired together and seamed together along the front and rear edges of the longitudinal slit portions of the stockings to form a substantially U-shaped seam 4d centrally of the garment. The longitudinal full-fashioned seams 41 and the U- s'haped seam 46 may be seamed on the same type sewing machine. It has been found desirable to sew a non-ravel selvage edge along the arcuate line 37.

A suitable reinforcement in the form of a crotch piece 43 may be provided at the base of the U-shaped seam joining the two stocking blanks together. The terminal flaps 38 may be arranged to cooperate to form the crotch portion of the inner panty portion at of the garment by providing a seam 43 therealong. The inner panty portion of the garment may be folded inwardly and sewn or tacked adjacent to the crotch pieces 43 or at the base of the U-shaped seam. An elastic belt or waistband 44 may be sewn or suitably attached along the waist line 5 of the garment.

There is shown in FIGS. and 11 a combination garment 50 formed from two seamless knit stocking blanks 5.1 and 52 in which each of the stocking blanks 5i and 52 has a double-ply fabric in the hip or panty portion 53 of the garment. Each of the stocking blanks 5'1 and 52 is knit in the usual manner except that in the formation of the top portion of each individual stocking blank there is a double welt 54 and 55 that is formed in a manner similar to any transfer where a double welt is formed on a circular knitting machine so as to have a double fabric above the transfer line 56 and a single fabric 57 below the transfer line 56. Upon completion of the individual seamless stocking blanks 51 and 52 a longitudinal slit is formed in a pair of cooperating stockings and a U- shaped seam58 joining the front and rear edges of the stocking blanks unite the two blanks to form the combination garment. It will be understood that a reinforced crotch portion 5% may be sewn at the base of the U- shaped seam 58. A suitable elastic belt or band (it) may be sewn to the top edge at of the garment 50.

FIG. 12 illustrates in a full-fashioned garment 65 a pair of full-fashioned stocking blanks 66 and 67 which are asembled together to form the tights 65 in which each of the full-fashioned stocking blanks have been provided with the double welt 63 above the transfer line 69 with a single fabric '73 below the transfer line 69. An elastic band 71 may be sewn to the top of the garment to encircle the waist of the wearer.

In FIG. 13 there is shown a combination garment ?5 in which the outer garment and lower portions thereof have been fabricated using two full-fashioned stocking blanks 76 and 77 which have been joined together by a U-shaped seam 78 in a manner as described above. There is fastened, as by sewing or some other suitable means, to the terminal edge '79 of the outer garment 75 an inner parity it knit from the same type of yarn as used in the construction of the outer garment. The panty 8t) illustrated may be of full-fashioned construction or may be of knitted fabric which is cut and sewn in the conventional manner prior to being sewn to the top '79 of the garment. A suitable elastic waistband 551 is sewn to the garment along the juncture of the panty 8t) and the top 7% of the garment 75. The parity 8% may be sewn or tacked in some suitable manner to the outer garment when turned inwardly, as desired.

A two-legged seamless knit outer garment is shown in FiG. 14 in which the individual stocking blanks 85 and '87 are sewn together to form a U-shaped seam 88 at the base of Which a reinforcing crotch portion 89 may be provided. An inner panty 90 either of tubular knit fabric or a cut and sewn panty may be attached as by sewing to the top edge 91 of the outer garment 85 as in FIG. 13. A suitable elastic waistband is sewn adjacent to the top edge .of the garment to encircle the waist of the wearer. Upon completion of the garment the panty portion is turned inwardly into the hip portion of the outer garment and may be suitably fastened therein if desirable.

In the fabrication of the two preferred embodiments of the combination garments shown in H68. 1 through 9, the stocking bianks, either of seamless or full-fashioned knit construction, have been knit to a length substantially greater than the length required for a single fabric thickness garment which extends from the foot to the waist of the wearer. A longitudinal slit is then formed in each of a pair of stockings on the crotch-side of each of the stockings to form front and rear edges which are sewn together to form a seam intermediate the front and rear of a combination garment or tights. A short transverse seam is sewn joining the terminal ends of the pair of stockings to form an inner crotch portion for an inner panty upon folding the upper portion of the garment inwardly which inner portion at the crotch may be tacked or sewn to the garment at a suitable position.

It will be readily apparent that various portions of the combination garment may be made of different types of stretch yarn without deviating from the basic concept of this invention. Many modifications and variations may be made in the construction of the various stocking blanks whether of full-fashioned or seamless knit construction and various arrangements of the upper welt portions of the stockings may be made to obtain an inner panty garment and an outer pair of tights in the light of the above teachings without departing from the real spirit and purpose of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims many modified forms of knitted structure may be reasonably included and modifications are contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination stocking and panty garment comprising a pair of similarly knit stocking blanks having integrally knit foot, leg, hip, Waist and inner panty portions, said blanks having means for securing the hip, Waist and inner panty portions together in such a manner as to form continuous outer and inner tubular Waist and hip portions and forming an inner panty portion upon inverting the inner panty portion, and an elastic band extending about the Waist portion oi the garment.

2. A combination panty and stocking garment comprising a pair of similarly knit stockings having afoot, leg, hip, waist and inner panty portions, said portions being knit of stretchable yarn, said hip, waist and inner panty portions including means for uniting said portions to form integrally an outer panty and an inner panty portion upon inverting the inner panty portion inwardly into the hip and waist portions of the garment.

3. A combination stocking and panty garment comprising -a pair of similarly knit stocking blanks, each of said stocking blanks being knit of stretchable yarn and having foot, leg, hip and waist and inner panty portions, said blanks having means for securing the hip, Waist and inner panty portions together to form a double-ply fabric at the waist and hip portions.

4. A combination stocking and panty garment comprising a pair of similarly knit stocking blanks, each of said stocking blanks having foot, leg, hip and waist and inner panty portions, said blanks having means for securing the hip, Waist and inner panty portions together to [form a double-ply fabric at the waist and hip portions.

5. A combination stocking and panty garment comprising a pair of similarly knit stocking blanks having integrally knit :foot, leg, hip, waist and inner panty portions, said blanks having means for securing the hip, waist and inner panty portions together in such a manner as to form continuous outer and inner tubular waist and hip portions and forming an inner panty portion upon inverting the inner panty portion into the continuous outer portion.

6. A combination stocking and panty garment comprising a pair of similarly knit stocking blanks of stretc able yarn having integrally knit foot, leg, hip, waist and inner panty portions, said blanks having means for securing the hip, waist and inner panty portions together in such a manner as to iorm continuous outer and inner tubular waist and hip portions and forming an inner panty portion upon inverting the inner panty portion, and an elastic band extending about the waist portion of the garment.

7. A combination garment comprising a pair of similarly knit seamless stocking blanks, each having integrally knit foot, leg, hip, Waist and inner panty portions, said portions being knit of stretchable yarn, and means for uniting the stocking blanks to form a pair of tights having an inner panty portion.

8. A combination garment comprising a pair of similarly knit full-fashioned stocking blanks each having foot, leg, hip, Waist and inner panty portions, means for uniting the stocking blanks to form a pair of tights, and an inner panty portion Within the tights.

9. A combination garment comprising a pair of similarly knit full-fashioned stocking blanks each having foot, leg, hip, Waist and inner panty portions, said portions being knit of stretchable yarn, and means for uniting the stocking blanks to form a pair of tights having an inner panty portion.

10. A method of making a combination garment comprising the steps of knitting a pair of stocking blanks having integral foot, leg, hip, waist and inner panty portions, longitudinally slitting each of the pair of stockings intermediate the front and rear thereof along the crotch-sides of each, securing together the corresponding front and rear edges formed by the longitudinal slits to form a tubular waist, hip and inner panty portions, seaming the inner panty portion to form a crotch and leg openings therein.

11. A method of making a combination garment comprising the steps of knitting a pair of stocking blanks having integral foot, leg, hip, waist and inner panty portions, longitudinally slitting each of the pair of stockings intermediate the front and rear thereotf along the crotch-sides of each, securing together the corresponding front and rear edges formed by the longitudinal slits to form a tubular waist, hip and inner panty portions, seaming the inner panty portion to form a crotch and leg openings therein, and inverting the inner panty portion into the hip and waist portions of the garment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,781,271 Cowdrey Nov. 11, 1930 1,800,461 Mattern Apr. 14, 1931 1,989,283 Limacher Jan. 29, 1935 2,634,421 Geraulo Apr. 14, 1953 2,659,893 Hindman Nov. 24, 1953 2,697,925 Goodman Dec. 28, 1954 2,826,760 Rice Mar. 18, 1958 

1. A COMBINATION STOCKING AND PANTY GARMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF SIMILARY KNIT STOCKING BLANKS HAVING INTEGRALLY KNIT FOOT, LEG, HIP, WAIST AND INNER PANTY PORTIONS, SAID BLANKS HAVING MEANS FOR SECURING THE HIP, WAIST AND INNER PANTY PORTIONS TOGETHER IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO FORM CONTINUOUS OUTER AND INNER TUBULAR WAIST AND HIP PORTIONS AND FORMING AN INNER PANTY PORTION UPON IN VERTING THE INNER PANTY PORTION, AND AN ELASTIC BAND EXTENDING ABOUT THE WAIST PORTION OF THE GARMENT. 